Supply Chain Visibility Solutions: From Insight to Action

How do you trace a T-shirt back to the farm that grew its cotton — and prove no one was exploited along the way?

That question has become more than a moral or marketing concern. For fashion brands navigating mounting regulatory pressure, reputational risk, and consumer scrutiny, it’s now a business-critical demand.

The trouble is that most supply chain systems used today weren’t initially built to enable deep visibility, traceability, and clarity. So while legacy platforms can tell you where your Tier 1 suppliers are located, they don’t allow you to dig deeper and find out, for example, whether subcontractors in Tier 3 are potentially sourcing cotton from Xinjiang or underpaying migrant labour. 

And even brands with strong sustainability intentions struggle to monitor activity across the full value chain, let alone act on flagged risks in real time.

That’s why the conversation around effective supply chain visibility solutions in fashion is shifting. Visibility isn’t just about knowing what happened after the fact — it’s about embedding tools that surface what’s happening right now, where, and why it matters. And new supply chain visibility solutions are moving from passive reporting to active governance.

In this article, we’ll explore:

• Why visibility is central to solving fashion’s biggest challenges

• What modern visibility tools look like (and what outdated ones miss)

• How ESG leaders can implement these tools to minimize disruption and maximize ROI

Because in today’s fashion landscape, what you can’t see can hurt your brand, and what you can see might just be your competitive edge.

Why Supply Chain Visibility Solutions are the Key to Fashion’s Challenges

Before fashion brands can act on ESG commitments, they need to see what’s happening in their supply chains — and most can’t. From modern slavery risk to deforestation to fraudulent certifications, the greatest threats to brand integrity are often buried deep in multi-tier supplier networks. And without real-time data, traceable documentation, or the ability to verify activity at the product level, ethical claims are just that: claims.

This is why visibility isn’t a “nice-to-have” anymore. It’s become the first step to protecting your business from reputational, regulatory, and financial harm.

Let’s break down the four biggest forces turning visibility from a supply chain goal into a boardroom priority.

Increased Regulation

Regulators across the globe are demanding deeper transparency into ethical supply chains—and holding brands accountable when their traceability falls short. 

Regulations now define the context in which fashion brands operate, and they play out in very specific but unsurprising ways.

First, the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) now mandates that companies with a significant EU presence assess and mitigate human rights violations and environmental harms across their value chains, including suppliers and subcontractors.

Even as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) evolves—recent revisions have aimed to ease implementation challenges—it still pressures EU-based brands to disclose detailed sustainability metrics, including ESG risks, across their sourcing networks.

A notable example of the fallout from non-compliance was Giorgio Armani's €3.5 million fine by Italy’s antitrust regulator. While not an isolated case, investigations into the luxury brand revealed:

• Misleading claims of ethical sourcing

• Exploitation equating to modern slavery risk

• Subcontracting in downstream chains with no traceability

While some jurisdictions are dialling back mandatory thresholds, pressure continues to build from regulators and buyers. The direction is clear: visibility to deeper tiers is an imperative.

Brand Risk

Three “prongs” contribute to the increased risk of brands failing to meet customer expectations, going way beyond compliance. Let’s take a look at these:

• Social media backlash and investigative reporting now move faster than corporate comms can respond. A report of forced labour or poor factory conditions can trigger consumer boycotts, shareholder pressure, or contract terminations with retail partners.

• Sustainability claims are under scrutiny. In the UK, ASOS, Boohoo, and ASDA faced regulatory inquiry for misleading green marketing, revealing that shallow supply chain oversight and overpromising ESG credentials can backfire.

• Buyers and B2B partners are watching. Even if end consumers don’t react, failing to prove responsible sourcing can cost fashion brands their preferred supplier status with large retailers or compliance-focused buyers.

The bottom line is that, without real-time supply chain visibility, ESG blind spots quickly become brand risks that erode trust, dent credibility, and compromise competitive position. 

Investor Scrutiny

Understandably, there’s a significant emphasis on increased burden because of regulatory frameworks and compliance with these moving targets. But there’s an additional external lever that places pressure on the call for supply chain visibility in fashion: 

Investor expectations for transparency and measurable ROI.

In other words, sustainable finance frameworks demand it. Regulations like the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) push investors to prove that portfolio companies manage ESG risks, including modern slavery and environmental harm in their supply chains. Poor visibility is now viewed as a liability.

That’s why private equity and institutional investors are applying pressure. Many have adopted ESG scoring models or use third-party data providers to evaluate companies on how well they track, manage, and mitigate supply chain risks. Brands that can’t demonstrate traceability often score lower, reducing investor confidence or divestment.

Consumer Demand for Transparency

Visibility solutions enable brands to show, clearly and transparently, where products come from, how they were made, and who made them. In a market where authenticity wins, traceability quickly becomes the foundation of consumer trust.

And it’s worth noting that the consumer's “demand” for transparency has become a default expectation, ultimately driving brand loyalty. 

According to a 2023 McKinsey report, 66% of Gen Z consumers consider sustainability when making fashion purchases, and 45% say they’ve abandoned a brand that lacked transparency about its sourcing or labour practices.

Consumers have also grown weary of greenwashing, and their backlash against dubious claims is real. As they engage with purchases, shoppers increasingly expect access to clothing supply chain information so they can verify claims autonomously — right down to the factory level. 

Watchdogs, NGOs, and social media call-outs support these customers' expectations: More than 50% of European consumers, 40% of U.S. consumers, and almost 70% of Chinese customers say they expect access to more information about how their clothes were made to directly inform their shopping decisions. 

This means brands are under growing pressure to back up their ethical sourcing claims with traceable, verifiable data. 

What to Look For in the Most Effective Modern Visibility Tools

Supply chain visibility is no longer just a logistics problem — it’s a business-wide priority tied to compliance, risk, and brand reputation. But not all solutions are built the same.

Many legacy platforms offer surface-level reporting or simple supplier contact directories. ESG teams need tools that deliver real-time traceability, multi-tier oversight, and action-ready insights.

In this section, we’ll clearly outline the features and functionality that defines effective modern visibility solution. For each, we’ll:

• Identify the prevailing gap ESG managers face

• Explore how purpose-built features close the gap

• Demonstrate how ESG managers can use the feature to benefit long-term

Use this walkthrough to evaluate any supply chain visibility solution you’re considering, as you aim to move beyond fragmented spreadsheets and finally connect the dots between sourcing, sustainability, and strategic value.

Feature #1: Multi-Tier Traceability Beyond Tier 1

The gap

Most tools stop at primary suppliers, leaving lower tiers — like raw materials, subcontractors, and logistics providers — completely opaque.

How multi-tier traceability helps

• Offers full visibility tracking from farm to factory to fulfillment. This includes mapping multiple supplier levels, product origins, and subcontracted partners.

• Enables ESG leaders to identify labor risks, controversial sourcing regions (e.g., Xinjiang cotton), or environmental issues upstream. 

With this level of active traceability, fashion brands can detect hidden violations before they surface in press or audits.

Feature #2: Real-Time Data, Risk Flagging, and Automated Alerts

The gap

Static dashboards and delayed reporting mean risks go undetected until damage is done.

How real-time data, risk flagging, and automated alerts help

• ESG managers can set up automated alerts for anomalies, such as missing documents, “new” suppliers in high-risk zones, and supply chain deviation from forecasts. 

• AI and analytics assist in pattern detection, offering real-time, intelligent insights. ESG teams can use this to devise more rapid response and risk mitigation strategies.

“AI also has the potential to improve human rights due diligence by helping major companies to ‘see, focus and act’” — Peter Swartz, Chief Science Officer @ Altana

Ultimately, this feature allows ESG teams to take the right action before an issue escalates, whether that’s intervening on time, escalating internally, or changing suppliers promptly. 

Feature #3: Embedded Documentation & Audit Trail

The gap

ESG documentation scattered across spreadsheets, emails, siloed systems, making consistent traceability nearly impossible.

How embedded documentation and audit trails help

• Centralized hub for certified documents (contracts, audit reports, lab results), all timestamped and version-controlled. 

• ESG managers and teams can tie each record directly to a product or supplier node.

• This simplifies compliance processes for legislation like UK Modern Slavery Act, LkSG, and EU CSRD. With an audit-ready structure, responses are defensible and scalable, not reactive.

Feature #4: Supplier Collaboration and Task Management

The gap

Too often, the brand alone is responsible for the relationship between its product and the supplier. Meanwhile, supplier engagement remains ad hoc and manual, without any ability to follow up and verify.

How supplier collaboration and task management help

• In-platform supplier portals with shared documentation uploads, task assignments (e.g., “submit wage records”), and built-in workflows to track resolution.

• ESG teams spend less time chasing emails and more time driving real behaviour change. 

• Suppliers can co-own and co-govern risk, ensuring responsibility is mutual rather than micro-managed.

A Word on Planning the Integration of a Supply Chain Visibility Solution

Each feature we explored above closes a gap between legacy systems and the unaccounted risks plaguing fashion supply chains. Combined, they help ESG managers comply and build visibility into strategic advantage.

In the next section, we’ll walk through exactly how to implement the right supply chain visibility solution into your preexisting tech stack. For ESG managers, one of the most significant barriers to org-wide adoption is the sheer complexity of a perceived migration or integration of a new system. 

However, implementing a visibility solution doesn’t mean overhauling your entire tech stack — the best platforms slot into your existing ecosystem, connecting the dots between procurement, product development, supplier communications, and ESG reporting.

Below, we’ve mapped out just one potential model that illustrates the process for integrating a modern visibility platform fashion brand’s operational flow.

Here’s how this integration would work:

• The visibility platform acts as a central hub for real-time data ingestion, collaboration, and traceability. 

• It connects upstream to the ERP and PLM systems, automatically capturing purchasing and product data. 

• Downstream, it powers ESG reporting by exporting verified traceability data in audit-ready formats.

• Suppliers interact through a portal to upload documents, complete tasks, and respond to risks—all monitored within the platform.

How to Implement the Right Supply Chain Visibility Solution

To ensure your visibility platform delivers measurable value—with minimal disruption and clear ROI—follow this structured implementation approach. Each step builds on the core features outlined above, transforming traceability tools into everyday practice.

Step 1: Align on Objectives and Risk Priorities

The goal for this step is to define clear goals and use those to evaluate platforms and suppliers.

Your implementation plan includes:

• Mapping out your risk universe: Identify high-risk tiers, regions, and product categories (e.g., mills in Xinjiang, dye houses in South Asia, etc.).

• Prioritizing pain points: What keeps your team up at night — is it modern slavery risk? Regulatory fines? Brand reputation?

• Selecting features accordingly: Plug platform gaps with the right function — for example, you can and should be able to pick vendor portals if collaboration is a gap, or harness risk flagging if audit detection is your major struggle.

Step 2: Run a Pilot With High-Risk Categories and Suppliers

The goal for this step is to test the system before scale to uncover bottlenecks, user friction, and data gaps.

Your implementation plan includes:

• Beginning with a small number of suppliers in critical product lines or regions.

• Conducting live PO-to-product tracing to test feature functionality and supplier participation.

• Using automated risk alerts and document uploads to verify audit trail behaviour.

• Gathering feedback from sourcing, ESG, and supplier teams and iterating before full rollout.

Step 3: Develop Multi-pronged Adoption with Supplier Support

The goal for this step is to bring about a culture of supplier participation and equip suppliers with training and incentives.

Your implementation plan includes:

• Developing multilingual onboarding guides or welcome flows, not just instructions.

• Combining supplier compliance (e.g. code-of-conduct certification) with early access to benefits — preferred terms, shared data insights, or incubation spotlight.

• Using procurement and internal buyers as champions, and elevating supplier achievements publicly.

Step 4: Link Traceability to Buisness Process Workflows

The goal for this step is to integrate visibility platforms into everyday operations and phase out siloed reporting dashboards.

Your implementation plan includes:

• Connecting current tools to PLM, ERP, and procurement systems to auto-trigger alerts and risk flags.

• Using product-level data to inform buying decisions: reject untraceable sourcing, fast-track sustainable collections.

• Ensuring ESG, logistics, and design functions all reference the same data to make cohesive, informed decisions.

Step 5: Measure Impact and Prove Value with KPIs

The goal for this step is to support investment in traceability by showing clear ROI.

This is an ongoing process that, once established during setup or integration, should become a part of your ESG strategy. 

To achieve this, track metrics like:

• Percentage of Tier 3 coverage (supplier tracing beyond Tier 1)

• Risk cases flagged and resolved (percent of missing documents or non-compliant supplier actions)

• Reductions in audit delays

• Time saved per compliance report

• Supplier engagement rates (active uploads, task completions)

Use scorecards and dashboards to compare performance over time and by function.

Integration success story: Primark

Based on reporting by Vogue Business, Primark’s visibility into Tier 1 suppliers using Excel-based tracking and static audits wasn’t keeping pace with their needs for deep traceability and actionable insights. 

Their methods fell short of their growing need to capture deeper-tier relationships linked to sustainability, forced labour, or environmental risk, and they simply lacked the capacity to support regulatory compliance like CSRD or forced labour laws.

Using a traceability platform, with purpose-built features designed to dig deeper into their supply chain in real time, Primark built an integrated system linking purchase orders (POs) to supplier data, mapping into Tier 3 and beyond. This included:

• Automated supplier onboarding workflows

• Document uploads and compliance validation tied to POs

• Risk flagging for incomplete or high-risk supplier data

• Real-time dashboards for ESG and sourcing teams

Their results, though not “instant,” were consistently measurable:

• Achieved full PO-linked Tier 3 tracing to identify high-risk supplier regions

• Replaced non-compliant subcontractors swiftly based on risk insights

• Scaled supplier coverage across cotton and textile sourcing across 60 suppliers

• Accelerated reporting readiness for evolving legislation (UFLPA, EU CSDDD, DPP)

Choose a Visibility Solution That Works for Fashion, Not Just Logistics

As we leave you with this full guide to implementing a supply chain visibility solution, there’s one thing you should remember: 

Visibility tools built for shipping lanes are different from those built for fashion supply chains. In other words, not all logistics are designed to address the very unique needs of a fashion business — which is why you’ll want to look for platforms specifically tailored to solve social and environmental risks embedded in fashion’s supply chains.

Your customers and investors already know that “visibility” for fashion means knowing where a product is made and who made it. That’s how you move beyond logistics to integrity. Are you equipped with the right platform to support that?